NEW MEXICO

White Sands

The Basics

Located in the New Mexico desert between Las Cruces and Alamogordo you’ll find White Sands National Park, the largest gypsum dunefield on Earth. While it makes for some great photography and an interesting experience, there were some big differences between White Sands and other national parks I’ve visited so here are some things to know before you go:

White Sands is extremely small and can be thoroughly covered in one day. It covers 275 square miles and only has five designated trails.
More than half of the park is a restricted use area patrolled by Holloman Air Force base.
There is only one road (Dune Drive) in and out of the park.
This park is pet friendly so feel free to bring your furry friend so long as they’re on a leash <6 ft.
Alcohol is not allowed in the park between Feb. 1 and May 31.

The Trails

As I mentioned above, White Sands is incredibly small in comparison to places like Death Valley at over three million acres. White Sands is only 275 square miles and more than half of that is restricted military zone for use by Holloman Air Force base. This leaves you with five official trails to hike and most are extremely easy and ADA compliant.

Dune Life Nature Trail

This one was my favorite because it’s a delicate ecosystem where the dunes meet the desert and I came face to face with my first Oryx. It’s a one mile loop around the perimeter that’s supposed to have interactive placards with information but most are faded and unreadable.

Alkali Flat

This longest of the trails is Alkali Flat at five miles long and should take four hours to complete. It heads away from the road and deep into the undisturbed dune field so if you’re looking for complete solitude, this is the hike to do.

Interdune Boardwalk

This trail is less than a half mile roundtrip and has a dedicated boardwalk suitable for wheelchairs. Unfortunately this part of the park is still closed due to the plane crash in Apr 2024. You may drive through but getting out is not allowed.

Closure sign on Dune Drive in White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Playa Trail

Another short and sweet trip, this one is a half mile roundtrip through the dry lakebed and dunes.

Backcountry Camping Trail

The second longest trail at two miles, this trail will take you out the opposite direction of Alkali Flat to several backcountry camping spots. Permits are required and can be picked up at the Visitor’s Center.

Cutie checking out sunset at Playa Trail in White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Pet Friendly

This was our first time visiting a national park that was dog friendly. I was stoked; Cutie not so much. While she didn’t have an absolute blast like I’d envisioned, it was nice to be able to let her out to experience the cool sand under her toe beans.

Dogs are allowed on all the designated trails in White Sands. Just be sure to bring adequate water as there are no water sources within in the park.

Sledding

If hiking through miles of sand on your way to more sand isn’t your kind of thing, don’t worry. There’s more to do in White Sands than just dredge through it.

Available in the Visitor’s Center for $20 are specialized sand sleds. These bad boys do take a minute to get used to so some practice is in order. Head down Dune Drive to the taller dunes toward the back of the loop and you’ll see plenty of people doing it. If you want to beat the crowds, I’d suggest getting here in the first hour the park is open as it starts to fill up around noon.